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THIRD SECTION CASE OF DAVYDOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (Applications nos. 41865/08 and 45 others – see appended list)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 2 March 2023   This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Davydov and Others v. Russia, The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Darian Pavli, President,  Ioannis Ktistakis,  Andreas Zünd, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 2 February 2023, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in applications against Russia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table. 2.  The Russian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications. THE FACTS 3.  The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table. 4.  The applicants complained of the various restrictions imposed by the authorities on the location, time or manner of conduct of public events. Some applicants also raised complaints under Articles 6 and 13 of the Convention (see the appended table). THE LAW JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS 5.  Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION 6.  The applicants complained principally of the restrictions imposed by the authorities on the location, time or manner of conduct of public events. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention, which reads: “1.  Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. 2.  No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of these rights other than such as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. This Article shall not prevent the imposition of lawful restrictions on the exercise of these rights by members of the armed forces, of the police or of the administration of the State.” 7.  The Court refers to the principles established in its case‑law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references). 8.  In the leading case of Lashmankin and Others v. Russia, no. 57818/09 and 14 others, §§ 402-78, 7 February 2017, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 9.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the interferences with the applicants’ freedom of assembly were based on legal provisions which did not meet the Convention’s “quality of law” requirements and were moreover not “necessary in a democratic society”. 10.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention in respect of each applicant. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW 11.  In some applications the applicants also submitted complaints about the lack of domestic remedies against the alleged violations of their right to freedom of assembly (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible. Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that they also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Lashmankin and Others, cited above, §§ 342-61, and Kablis v. Russia, nos. 48310/16 and 59663/17, §§ 64-72, 30 April 2019. 12.  In application no. 21043/19 the applicant also raised a complaint under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. In view of its findings under Articles 11 and 13 of the Convention, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with this complaint. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 13.  Article 41 of the Convention provides: “If the Court finds that there has been a violation of the Convention or the Protocols thereto, and if the internal law of the High Contracting Party concerned allows only partial reparation to be made, the Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the injured party.” 14.  Having regard to the nature of the applicants’ complaints, the Court considers that the finding of a violation, triggering the respondent State’s obligation to take measures aimed at ensuring the respect of the right to freedom of assembly indicated in the judgment of Alekseyev and Others v. Russia, nos. 14988/09 and 50 others, §§ 27-29, 27 November 2018, constitutes sufficient just satisfaction (see, for a similar approach, Alekseyev and Others v. Russia ([Committee], nos. 26624/15 and 76 others, § 18, 16 January 2020), Zverev and Others v. Russia ([Committee], nos. 26363/18 and 2 others, § 15, 7 July 2022, and Taratunin and Others v. Russia ([Committee], nos. 2051/18 and 4 others, § 14, 28 July 2022)).   FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Decides to join the applications; Declares the complaints under Articles 11 and 13 of the Convention admissible and decides that it is not necessary to deal separately with the complaint under Article 6 of the Convention raised in application no. 21043/19; Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention concerning the restrictions imposed by the authorities on the location, time or manner of conduct of public events; Holds that there has been a violation of Article 13 of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table); Holds that the finding of the violations constitutes in itself sufficient just satisfaction. Done in English, and notified in writing on 2 March 2023, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Viktoriya Maradudina Darian Pavli  Acting Deputy Registrar President   APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention (restrictions on the location, time or manner of conduct of public events) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth/registration Representative’s name and location Location Date of the public event planned Restrictions applied Final domestic decision (type of procedure) Date Name of the court Other complaints under well-established case-law     41865/08 18/07/2008 Aleksey Viktorovich DAVYDOV ­—   Neglinnaya street Moscow   14/09/2007 Proposal to change the manner of conduct, in particular, to reduce the number of participants Notification procedure: 26/02/2008 Moscow City Court —     35670/10 19/05/2010 MOO KOMITET PROTIV PYTOK Kalyapin Igor Aleksandrovich Nizhniy Novgorod Teatralnaya Square Nizhniy Novgorod   26/06/2009 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 26/01/2010 Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court —     67218/13 05/07/2013 Aleksandr Fedorovich BEKHTOLD — Sobornaya street, Lenin Square  Ryazan 08/12/2012   Lenin Square Ryazan 01/04/2013   Lenin Square Ryazan 26/11/2017     Lenin Square Ryazan 02/12/2017     Lenin Square Ryazan 09/12/2017   Lenin Square Ryazan 15/12/2017 Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location and time of the event     Proposal to change the location and time of the event     Proposal to change the location and time of the event   Proposal to change the location and time of the event Notification procedure: 15/05/2013 Ryazan Regional Court   Notification procedure: 24/07/2013 Ryazan Regional Court     Notification procedure: 20/06/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 25/06/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 13/06/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 31/05/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —     10146/15 13/02/2015 Grigoriy Nikolayevich KABLIS Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich Saint-Barthélemy d’Anjou Syktyvkar   18/08/2014 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 27/11/2014 Supreme Court of the Komi Republic —     25535/17 14/03/2017 Ilya Aleksandrovich MISHCHENKO —   Several locations Moscow   22/03/2016 23/03/2016 Proposals to change the locations     Notification procedure: 14/09/2016 Moscow City Court     —     35457/17 29/04/2017 Petr Nikolayevich ALYMOV —   Two locations Dankov   Two manifestations planned on 03/09/2016 Proposal to change the locations Notification procedure: 29/03/2017  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —       77321/17 27/10/2017 Aleksandr Ivanovich GORDEYEV Vorobyev Viktor Viktorovich Moscow Triumfalnaya Square Moscow   03/05/2016 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 27/04/2017 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —       78856/17 27/10/2017 Aleksandr Ivanovich GORDEYEV Vorobyev Viktor Viktorovich Moscow Triumfalnaya Square Arbatskaya Square Moscow   Two manifestations planned on 01/05/2017 Proposals to change the locations Notification procedure: 11/08/2017 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —       17408/18 30/03/2018 Aleksandr Nikolayevich TOROKHOV Dolzhikov Anatoliy Anatolyevich Balashikha   Parkovaya street Balashikha   26/03/2017 Refusal to approve the location owing to a large number of people during the weekend Notification procedure: 17/10/2017 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —     40931/18 09/08/2018 (3 applicants) Marina Sergeyevna SEDOVA   Darya Vladimirovna CHERNYSHEVA   Ernest Aleksandrovich MEZAK Zubkov Vladimir Vladimirovich Syktyvkar Syktyvkar   02/09/2017 General prohibition on holding public events at certain locations (in the vicinity of local administration premises) Notification procedure: 16/03/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Art. 13 – lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in relation to Article 11 complaint   55753/18 14/11/2018 Denis Vladimirovich MOLYAKOV —   Moskovskaya Street Penza   27/06/2017   Moskovskaya Street Penza   16/08/2017 Proposals to change the locations       Notification procedure: 15/05/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 18/05/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   —     56069/18 14/11/2018 Darya Valentinovna MASLENIKOVA   Irina Igorevna SVERGUN   Memorial Human Rights Centre Moscow Tretyakovskaya metro station Moscow   28/01/2017 Refusal to approve the event Notification procedure: 14/05/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —     56254/18 14/11/2018 Aleksandr Yevgenyevich POMAZUYEV Gimadi Vyacheslav Ilyich Moscow Meetings with Aleksey Navalnyy   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 08/10/2017   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 15/10/2017   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 22/10/2017   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 29/10/2017   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 05/11/2017   M.Gorkiy monument Moscow 12/11/2017   Prospekt Sakharova Moscow 17/12/2017       Refusal to approve the location owing to its unsuitability   Refusal to approve the location owing to its unsuitability   Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location         Notification procedure: 11/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 05/10/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 16/10/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 16/10/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 11/12/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 23/11/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 14/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   57205/18 28/11/2018 Aleksandr Vladimirovich PARAMONOV Khrunova Irina Vladimirovna Kazan Red Square Cheboksary   26/11/2017 Proposal to change the location and time of the event Notification procedure: 31/07/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Art. 13 – lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in relation to Article 11 complaint   366/19 28/11/2018 Yaroslav Romanovich MUDRYAKOV Khrunova Irina Vladimirovna Kazan Teatralnaya Promenade Cheboksary   24/11/2017 Proposal to change the location and the time of the event Notification procedure: 01/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Art. 13 – lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in relation to Article 11 complaint   1224/19 15/12/2018 Dmitriy Yuryevich KARASEV Zboroshenko Nikolay Sergeyevich Moscow Near metro station Shchukinskaya Moscow   17/09/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 23/11/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   1799/19 13/12/2018 Andrey Sergeyevich NIKITIN — Several locations St Petersburg   Several manifestations planned between 17/07/2017 and 23/07/2017; between 24/07/2018 and 28/07/2018 Proposals to change the locations         Notification procedure: 07/08/2018 10/09/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     —   4878/19 30/12/2018 Viktoriya Yuryevna MENSHIKOVA — Several locations St Petersburg Several manifestations planned between 27/08/2017 and 12/09/2017   Several locations St Petersburg Several manifestations planned between 26/07/2017 and 03/08/2017   Several locations St Petersburg Several manifestations planned between 03/11/2017 and 04/11/2017 Proposal to change the locations and time         Proposal to change the location and the manner of conduct       Refusal to approve public events Notification procedure: 14/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation         Notification procedure: 31/07/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation         Notification procedure: 20/11/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   7315/19 21/01/2019 Yekaterina Andreyevna YANSHINA Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius Voronezh   24/11/2017 Proposal to change the time Notification procedure: 17/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   7341/19 21/01/2019 Ruslan Anatolyevich RESHETNIKOV Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius Moscow   29/07/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 19/09/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   8726/19 28/12/2018 Aleksey Viktorovich TABALOV Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg Chelyabinsk 22/09/2017     Chelyabinsk 29/09/2017 Proposal to change the location and time     Proposal to change the location and time   Notification procedure: 09/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation,   Notification procedure: 07/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   10174/19 08/02/2019 Dmitriy Mikhaylovich KLEPIKOV Zakhvatov Dmitriy Igorevich Moscow Moscow 13/06/2017     Moscow 17/07/2017     Moscow 19/07/2017       Moscow 05/08/2017 Proposal to change the manner of conduct     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 19/12/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 19/12/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, 18/12/2018     Notification procedure: 18/12/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   11506/19 10/02/2019 Nataliya Andreyevna ZADONSKAYA —   St Petersburg Yekateringof Park 23/07/2017   St Petersburg Sennaya Square 25/07/2017 Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 04/10/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 24/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   —   12282/19 09/02/2019 Mariya Vladimirovna MAKAROVA Lepekhin Andrey Gennadyevich Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk Teatralnaya square 24/09/2017   Chelyabinsk Teatralnaya square 01/10/2017   Chelyabinsk Teatralnaya square 15/10/2017 Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location   Notification procedure: 10/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 10/08/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 10/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   12290/19 09/02/2019 Kirill Valeryevich ARTYUKHOV Lepekhin Andrey Gennadyevich Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk 23/09/2017     Chelyabinsk 21/10/2017 Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location   Notification procedure: 10/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   Notification procedure: 06/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   12412/19 21/02/2019 Roman Viktorovich RUBANOV Zamyatin Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Berlin Meetings with Aleksey Navalnyy Moscow 29/10/2017   Moscow 05/11/2017 Proposal to change the location and time       Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 11/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 24/11/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   12466/19 26/02/2019 Vladislav Valeryevich KORNYUSHENKO     Several locations St Petersburg Several manifestations planned between 03/07/2017 and 23/07/2017   Several locations St Petersburg 05/10/2017 06/10/2017 Proposal to change the location and time       Proposal to change the location and time   Notification procedure: 06/12/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 21/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   15781/19 10/03/2019 Nataliya Vladimirovna ZHILKINA Vorobyev Viktor Viktorovich Syktyvkar Tambov   12/12/2017 Proposal to change the location and time Notification procedure: 11/09/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   17013/19 12/03/2019 Dmitriy Vladimirovich ZUBAREV   Polina Aleksandrovna SIDELNIKOVA Banik Sergey Stepanovich Vladivostok Vladivostok   28/01/2018 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 05/10/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   17515/19 10/05/2019 Aleksandr Valeryevich ZHDANOV — Chita   22/09/2018 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 13/12/2018  Zabaykalskiy Regional Court —   21006/19 01/04/2019 Nadezhda Viktorovna KOTS Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius Moscow   30/07/2017 Refusal to approve the event Notification procedure: 05/03/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   21043/19 08/04/2019 Dmitriy Andreyevich ZVORYKIN Zboroshenko Nikolay Sergeyevich Moscow Moscow   26/05/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 23/11/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     —   22408/19 11/04/2019 Vladimir Vladimirovich ZUBKOV Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich Saint-Barthélemy d’Anjou Syktyvkar   20/12/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 11/10/2018  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   30502/19 20/05/2019 Nataliya Vladimirovna ZHILKINA Vorobyev Viktor Viktorovich Syktyvkar Tambov   01/05/2018 Refusal to approve the event Notification procedure: 20/11/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   34418/19 20/06/2019 Marina Vladimirovna MAYANTSEVA —   Nizhniy Novgorod   Two manifestations 01/05/2018 Proposal to change the location and/or time Notification procedure: 25/12/2018 13/05/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation   —   35303/19 18/06/2019 Yelena Aleksandrovna ZEZEGOVA   Ernest Aleksandrovich MEZAK Zubkov Vladimir Vladimirovich Syktyvkar Yaroslavl   12/08/2018 Proposal to change the location; general prohibition on holding public events at certain locations (near the buildings of the investigative authorities) Notification procedure: 18/12/2018 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Art. 13 – lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in relation to Article 11 complaint   35909/19 25/06/2019 Yuriy Venediktovich IOFFE Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg St Petersburg Chernyshevskiy Garden   18/07/2018 Proposal to change the time Notification procedure: 18/03/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   40201/19 19/07/2019 Aleksey Yuryevich GOLYSHEV Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius Korolev 50 let VLKSM street   25/11/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 22/01/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   43254/19 26/07/2019 Yekaterina Maksimovna MIKHAYLOVA Zakhvatov Dmitriy Igorevich Moscow Moscow Pushkinskaya Square   14/10/2018 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 21/05/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   59881/19 22/10/2019 Aleksey Yuryevich GOLYSHEV Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius Moscow Prospect Mira near the VDNKh entrance   15/07/2017 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 25/04/2019  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   60333/19 08/11/2019 Ilya Vladimirovich SIVOLDAYEV —   Voronezh   10/07/2018 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 08/05/2019  Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   61396/19 18/11/2019 Anton Viktorovich STRUNIN — Penza Moscow street   09/09/2018 Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 23/05/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   3211/20 16/12/2019 Anatoliy Vasilyevich SAY — Krasnodar   09/09/2018 Refusal to approve the event Notification procedure: 25/07/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   3327/20 30/12/2019 Tatyana Viktorovna GRIGORYEVA Sokolov Yevgeniy Vladislavovich Belgorod Belgorod 10/06/2019     Belgorod 17/06/2019     Belgorod 26/07/2019 Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location     Proposal to change the location Notification procedure: 21/11/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 21/11/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation     Notification procedure: 29/11/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   13012/20 17/02/2020 (3 applicants) Sergey Yuryevich ZAKHAROV   Mikhail Arnoldovich BUDARIN   Pavel Valeryevich ROMANOV Romanov Pavel Valeryevich Cheboksary Cheboksary   07/07/2019 Proposal to change the location; general prohibition on holding public events at certain locations (mall, administration, church) Notification procedure: 27/12/2019 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —   34496/20 06/07/2020 Dmitriy Vladimirovich SERGEYEV Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg Fontanka Embarkment St.Petersburg   25/02/2019 General prohibition on holding public events at certain locations (near Leningradskiy Regional Court) Notification procedure: 24/01/2020 Supreme Court of the Russian Federation —